CLOSED: Cafe 118

found out yesterday, sign on door. phone out of service.

The food here was amazing. We had an appetizer (salad with beets and macadamia nut cheese), the tostado and pad thai entrees, and the chocolate hazelnut torte and strawberry ice cream for dessert. Everything tasted so fresh and delicious. The entrees were large and very filling. We will definitely be coming back!

The food was absolutely amazing, and the service was outstanding. Everything was flavorful, colorful and creative.

One word about Cafe 118 in Winter Park, FL......SPECIAL:) Went there with my daughter for dinner and have to say that it was a wonderful EXPERIENCE. The chic atmosphere and music were pleasant for the start of our evening. Then I think we started off with the Crispy Vegetable Summer rolls with macadamia dressing and a sweet and sour dipping sauce. Next I had the truly delectable spinach raviolis with cashew ricotta and a pear wine sauce while my daughter ordered the shiitake mushroom lasagna with sun dried tomatoes, herb pesto and macadamia ricotta. Sent my husband there when he went down to visit. He also could not give it enough praises. Check out their online site and you will get a taste of what you will experience. Pittsburgh loves you!!! See you again, Cafe 118.

Very good

So Good

My 7 year old son and I have been to Cafe 118 degrees twice. It is definitely a place with raw gourmet food. The portions are small (unless going for a salad), but the taste is grand.
The price of the entrees are not inexpensive, considering the fact that everything is raw and delicately made for presentation and taste. This is definitely a great place to go for a once in a while treat, due to the fact that gourmet raw means lots of fat (nuts, seeds, and/or avocado).

My son and I would have to say that out of the four entrees we have tried, the raw lasagna wins. It is kid friendly and mother approved :D . I have to say, it is the best tasting lasagna I have ever had and it is raw!

I was not fond of the one smoothie or milkshake I have ordered for my son. He enjoyed it very much so, I found it a bit too sweet. The deserts were good, I have tasted better, but the presentation was beautiful.

This place is worth at least a one time experience and if you go, order the lasagna (The price might probably scare you, but it's worth trying something at least once.)

Did I mention the water? I won't spoil it for you, just no it is different in a good way.

The only good raw food miles around

I went in actually expecting not to like it, having heard that the prices were high, portions were small, and I was afraid that it wouldn't taste good either. Well, the prices are high (but not higher than another gourmet high-end restaurant), and portions are on the small side (they are just big enough to be satisfying). But the taste was unbelievable!

The flavors were so complex and delightfully layered. It was truly gourmet.

I had the Lasagna and my partner had the Taco Salad Entree (can't remember if it had a less generic name or not). We also shared a Kale Salad as an appetizer. The Kale Salad was good, but it really was pretty much a normal salad I'd make at home (next time, I'd skip the salad and try dessert instead). However, the two entrees were incredible.

The Lasagna tasted exactly like how I would want a lasagna to taste, with 3 delightful sauces ("ricotta," sun-dried tomato, and pesto) and fresh herbs. The Taco Salad had a perfectly seasoned ground walnut taco filling and also 3 perfect sauces (guac, "queso," and tomato). The flavors were absolutely incredible!

I had never visited the downtown area of this adorable section of greater Orlando before and was pleasantly surprised by its vintage feel and lovely layout. Café 118° is nestled in the brick cobbled area of Winter Park lined with mature Live Oak trees and classic lamp posts. We had called ahead earlier to double check on the location and spoke with Katherine who ended up being our waitress. She made us feel right at home as we sat down on the shady patio to look over the menu.
My companion chose a Mango smoothie to begin with which was green and flecked with red. It had a most unusual flavor and indeed mango was the star of the components. I opted for a green juice combo which was delightfully flavorful with a hint of citrus and ginger.
For the entrées I chose a Chile Rellenos and my guest the Lasagna. He had never experienced the Raw Food version of cheeses. I always delight in the exclamations of newbies to the complex flavors and textures that are achieved through the clever use of Macadamia and Pine Nuts. The plates were beautifully presented and we immediately uploaded images to the web with the speedy free wifi connection.
The Lasagna was a classic stack of shaved Zucchini noodles layered with a Sun Dried Tomato sauce and packed with fresh herbs and a healthy amount of the cheeses. My Chile Rellenos were heaped with fresh corn and tiny minced veggies topped with a trio of bliss zigzagging the crunchy Poblano Chili pepper. These included a tangy nut cheese, a creamy Sun Dried Tomato and a third created from a Black Bean base. On the side was a crispy fresh salad with a flavorful lime based dressing. The chef makes everything to order and is happy to accommodate omissions and additions.
It started to rain, so we moved inside for desert. The décor is minimalistic and earthy at the same time. It is difficult to say which of our choices was better as we are both chocolate lovers and found them each to be heavenly! My guest tried the Chocolate Macadamia tart and I chose the Black Forrest Cake and a hot Chai tea. Katherine brought a tiny carafe of the house made Almond Milk as creamer. It is truly divine! Kudos to Chef Owner Joseph Diaz for his Gourmet take on Raw Food!


Updated from previous review on Saturday June 29, 2013

Updated from previous review on Saturday June 29, 2013

Updated from previous review on Saturday June 29, 2013

My wife and I were so happy to find a raw, vegan, and conscious restaurant in Orlando. We also were happy to discover the Winter Park area which added to our experience. We had the Mayan Tacos and they were amazing! Flax seed/apple tortillas filled with a walnut and vegetable filling. Our server was one of the most educated people we have run into when we travel. She has eaten raw for seven years (only 24) and had the clearest and intense blue eyes we have ever seen! I recommend this restaurant to anyone that wants to eat healthy and well.

Went to 118 today with a friend. The food was good, great flavors and nice plated. I would eat here again, but I think there is plenty of room to take the food to a higher level. The girl who was serving us was not interested at all, and her face showed pure boringness. However she did asked about the ingredients for the tacos, and told us that they weren't made by themself, they got them from a company in Miami. Neither did she new the flavour of the Kamboocha, since the owner who does it herself, did not lable it...
It's a nice place to eat good raw food in a very nice area.

Some items are really good and some are not good. It's a matter of personal tastes. I personally hate the smores while others love them. The dark chocolate torte yum!!! The prices are what I pay in NYC & LA for raw vegan food and sometimes worse. I do not mind paying $16 for an entree if it would be somewhat filling. Some entrees are appetizer size- so ask. Worth trying.

An excellent raw food restaurant. I had the Verde Green Smoothie, Pad Thai, and finished with the "pumpkin" tart. All excellent. Wait staff was friendly and helpful.

I have eaten at Cafe 118 several times and love it. They specialize in yummy alkalizing food which is my fave!!! Try the lasagne, chili rellenos, or pad thai. Mm! Their ice cream is TO DIE FOR! Topped with these little almond-cacao squares, WOW. S'mores???! AMAZING!!!! It can be expensive, at $14+ for entrees, so share if you are on a budget, but check it out! OH AND FRESH COCONUT WATER! :D

My first raw experience and it did not disappoint! It was September of 2011 when I went so I'm writing this from memory. I had the zucchini "spaghetti and meatballs with sundries tomato sauce" and it was so yummy. I love the beautiful location in Winter Park as well.
I was so excited I came back with a coworker a few nights later. I remember getting the chile relleno and a chocolate torte of some kind that had my world traveller friend saying "that is the best chocolate dessert I've had in my life."

The place is pristine with marble tables, art, glass....modern look. Music was kind of techno but soft. Altogether it was an experience.
The only con was the noise from the high speed blender in the back somewhere.
Waitress was very attentive and helpful.
Also it is expensive but it is very healthy too! It is like being in NYC. And I'm guessing the other nearby restaurants are in the same price range as well.

Once I found out that this restaurant was started up by Matthew Kenney (of Pure Food & Wine in NYC, and author several raw books) I was beyond excited. It's located in the picturesque downtown Winter Park area right along with all the other fine dining.

Knowing we were going to be doing some serious beer tasting after this, we kept our meals fairly light. Thomas is pretty sure he's allergic to cashews now too, so the waitress was great about going over the menu with him.

I ordered the Mexican Chopped Salad, that came with sweet corn, avocado, chili chips, and "queso blanco" which was absolutely fantastic. A little on the small side for a meal, but listed under salads with the smaller price tag of $13.

Thomas had the entrée Taco Salad, only without the cashew based sour cream. This was outstanding, and was even better than my salad. The portion size here was also much better at $17. Although some of the ingredients were similar to mine, it had more veggies, raw "refried beans" and a couple of sauces drizzled over it, including a delicious mole sauce.

Impression:

This place is fantastic! Most raw organic places tend to be slow and pricey, but their service was comparatively fast, about that of a regular restaurant. For the quality of the food and location, I thought the price point was pretty fair, though clearly not in my budget for an all the time eatery. Regardless, if they weren't closed on Sunday, I would have made it a point to come back and try more. I can't wait until our next visit! : )

See full review with pictures at cameraphonevegan.com here http://wp.me/pR1Fv-1AJ

The food was good when I took my parents. The service was a bit slow considering we were the only patrons there. It was loud in the small space. Maybe the music was just turned up loud that day. We enjoyed our meals but for the price, I expected more food on the plate/larger portion sizes. I look forward to trying more dishes, but would like to get more for my money.